Page 44 of The Wolf's Mate

She is a portrait come to life, a beauty only an artist can capture. I want to fall on my knees and worship every inch of her body.

“Your Luna is ready for you.” Tallie smiles, taking Thorne’s hand. “We’ll take care of everything tonight. You enjoy one another.”

I nod, my words not yet coming to me. All I know is that I need the pair of them gone.

Hettie and I remain locked in a stare, neither of us speaking, as my best friend and cousin take their leave. Then it’s just the two of us.

“You look beautiful, Dove.”

My words seem to catch her off guard, and her blush deepens. She runs a hand down the silk of her dress. “It’s not too much?”

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

Like a plant to sunlight, we gravitate toward each other. I take her hand, leading her toward the table set up for us by the kitchen staff. The garden is covered in a thin layer of snow. No flowers bloom, and no tree holds any leaves. Even in death, the scene is beautiful, knowing that, in a few short months, the area will come alive once again.

A burning fire warms the air around the table. I watch Hettie as she sits, wondering if she’s cold. She doesn’t shiver, but I ask anyway. “Are you cold?”

“Surprisingly, no. Your cousin’s room was sweltering hot. It actually feels wonderful out here,” she assures.

I take my seat across from her. A mixture of cheese, meats, and bread sits in the center for us to graze from. Despite not eating since this morning, I don’t find myself particularly hungry, but I still grab a piece of bread, giving my hands and mouth something to do.

I’m rusty at this whole wooing thing. I’ve never had to seduce a woman before or try hard to get one to flirt with me. I took the ones who threw themselves at me to bed. We’d have a fun night, but that’s all. It ended quickly. Small talk, compliments, and getting to know another person on a deeper level have never been my strong suit.

If Hettie feels awkward, she doesn’t show it. Her eyes sparkle as she takes in the setup. “A charcuterie board? I’ve always wanted to learn how to make one of these.” She reaches for a bit of everything, not shy about taking food.

Good. There’s no reason to be.

“How are you adjusting to your life here?” This is probably a question I should have asked long ago, but I’m not sure I was ready for the answer then. I’m still not completely ready to hear the answer now because, if she says she hates it here, then I can’t keep her here against her will. I can’t send her back to her world, but I’d figure something out.

“I didn’t think I would like it here.” I appreciate the honesty, but I still tense, hoping her mind has changed. “But I…I don’t know. I just feel like I’m supposed to be here? Tallie has been amazing, and I love helping her out at the nursery, and then there’s you…”

She trails off, biting her lower lip. Hettie averts her gaze from me, and I’ve never wanted to reach across the table and bracket her neck more than I do now. Then she couldn’t escape my gaze. But I’m not a beast, at least not entirely. “Look at me, Hettie. Not at the ground. Me.”

There’s a slight hesitation before she obeys, meeting my gaze once again. “What about me?” I ask, needing to hear what she thinks about me. If she’s affected as much as I am.

“You’re…you. And I’m…me. And we’re…”

“Eloquently put, mate. But I need you to be more specific.”

Hettie groans. “Don’t make me say it.”

“You sound like I’m torturing you,” I say, deadpan, “when all I want to know is what you think about when you think of me.”

“That’s the thing, Rip. I can’t stop thinking about you. You aren’t the type of man I’m used to.” Another sliver of her past, but not one that satisfies my need to know everything about her.

“What type of men are you used to, Dove?” My mind takes me back to the few times she’s flinched when I’ve moved my hand toward her face. That is an indicator of the type of men she is accustomed to. Weak men who need to prove their dominance over people physically smaller than they are.

Men like Michael.

“It’s mostly my fault. I always put myself into these situations, even knowing what might happen. My actions hurt many people, both emotionally and financially. It’s why I made the deal with Ender.”

I wait in anticipation, wondering if this is the moment she will finally trust me enough to open up to me fully. She knows about my parents and life before her, but much of her life is still so unknown to me. Before I can ask her more about it, though, a beta brings out our dinner. Pork roast with a medley of vegetables. Despite not being hungry only moments before, my mouth waters.

When the beta leaves, I ask, “You made the deal with Ender to escape these men?”

Hettie pushes the diced carrots around on her plate, separating them from the rest of the veggies. I make a mental note that my mate isn’t a fan of carrots, filing it away for later.

“Yes…and no,” she says slowly. “My fucked-up obsession with bad men was a major reason, but I can’t blame all my actions on them. They were my actions. I so badly wanted to feel important and accepted by these idiots who did stupid shit. Petty theft. Got involved with drugs, nothing hardcore, just enough to land me in jail for a night or two until my mom could scrounge up enough money to bail me out.

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